Title: Dance a Little Dance
Chapter Eight: You'll Never Win at Chess if You Think You're Playing Tic-Tac-Toe
Word Count: 4,708
[Total Word Count: 36,372]
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing: Eventual FrostIron/IronFrost, if we can get there in one piece.
Warning: Language, Nine Realms politics, drama
Spoilers: Incorporates everything in the main storyline up to the ending of "Thor: The Dark World". Definitely nothing from "Winter Soldier" or "Age of Ultron". Also, Tony still has the shrapnel, electromagnet and arc reactor in his chest.
Author: Kisnau a.k.a. Kita Kitsune
Date: Friday, July 31, 2015
Miscellaneous Notes: Two chapters out in one month - whoo! Seem to be settling in, apparently. :3 Hopefully I'll have more out soon! Enjoy the new chapter, regardless - all newly written in the past two weeks while I'm commuting on public transit (so, yes, first chapter of mine to be written completely on a smartphone)! I even got a small Bluetooth keyboard to help me get off my ass and get back to this story - I'm trying, my wonderflurries! So glad to be able to give you two posts this month, even if I just barely squeaked in under the deadline! :D

I LOVE YOU ALL FEEL FREE TO COMMENT I'M LIKE TONY I LOVE TO CHAT PLEASE DON'T BE SCARED MY LOVELIES.

ALSO HI BATWYNN!

SHE DID SOME SUPERRIFIC ART FOR THIS FIC GO CHECK IT OUT ON MY TUMBLR HERE: tagged/dald-fic

Tony doesn't sleep for the rest of the night; then again, he hadn't really thought he would. Instead, he stares out his window at the rainbow bridge over sparkling star-water and thinks.

Why would Odin show him that? If that was a test, Tony would really like to know what it'd been testing. Firstly, all that focus on Loki. Hadn't Odin just been criticizing him for just watching Loki? Or was his goal to throw Loki at Tony, hoping Tony could 'fix' him? But that didn't make sense – Odin hated mortals, didn't he? Thought they were weak? A waste of a millisecond of time, in comparison to Asgardian lifespans?

But then why…

Perhaps what scared Tony the most out of the whole thing was how invested he'd been in the fight. It had felt visceral, like he and Loki had actually had months or years to iron out a way to interact enough that they knew each others' tells. Tony had felt like he knew Loki – which was all kinds of levels of messed up. He didn't. Maybe he'd thought about going another round in the sack with Loki, but who wouldn't?

Regardless, one-night stands were a hell of a lot different than some sort of… relationship. Tony wanted to cringe at the very thought. Him and Loki? Two hot messes thrown together was a disaster waiting to happen - end of story, no happy ending. The best they could ever hope for would be an enemies-with-benefits sort-of arrangement.

(That was right, wasn't it? The saner option? Maybe Pepper would have been proud of his reasoning skills...)

Tony's trying to figure out what Odin's game is. He feels like he's being yanked around on a chain, and is starting to regret ever agreeing to this deal. Mental torture had not been high on his list of things to do for this visit. What's weirdest of all is that Odin gives no indication of the weirdness he's been putting Tony through. Naturally, Tony hadn't said anything to Thor or Clint. Over the next day Tony waits on tenterhooks for the final axe to fall, but it never comes.

With the conference officially started, apparently Odin has arranged a kick-off day where the delegates can spend the meals mingling – probably so they don't end up killing each other during the actual conference. Everyone has a chance to schmooze around with everyone else, so they get a feel for each other. Tony has to admit he's sort of a fan of Ryok and Brokkr, if only because Thor and Clint are doing their own things and Loki's not approached him at all. Every time Tony tries, he's met with a polite smile just barely covering sharp teeth. Hela is OK, too, even if she is a little weird and Nanna is as mute and expressionless as the first day Tony saw her come walking down that hall. He has to wonder about the Asgardian that called out to her – hadn't he called her 'mother'?

Tony tries to get into the library again, but it's mysteriously locked. Yeah, that isn't suspicious at all. It's either Odin or Loki because Tony can't think of anyone else who'd like to screw with him like that, so instead Tony settles for rounding up one of the servants to help him translate that book he'd managed to snap pictures of, before. Lucky him, though, the servants on Asgard aren't taught to read, so Tony's forced to go to Thor anyway. He can tell right off the bat that Thor's not one for reading because the big guy gets distracted, but he helps Tony get a general idea of what that book had been about.

Basically, it was a boring, Asgard-washed version of the history of each realm, along with the royal families of each. Jotunheim had been the only one that wasn't mind-numbingly tedious. Farbauti had been overthrown by Laufey, apparently? Some juicy gossip, right there; something to spice up this children's reference book on the history of the Nine Realms that Tony's picked up. And that'd been what Hela had said, but Tony's beginning to suspect there's more to it because no one wants to talk about Laufey – not even Thor. Every time Tony asks he's shushed, as though he's uttered a curse word in a convent. Loki is studiously quiet every time it comes up, too. So, in the end, Tony brings it up to one of the delegates from Jotunheim.

As Tony sidles up to his new best friend of the hour, the Frost Giant stares at him as though he's got better ants to squash. Tony doesn't take the hint, of course, and opens with a charming smile and –

"So, about that whole Laufey-uprising thing –" Tony's not sure they have the AllSpeak spell, but that dark blue face darkens into something almost resembling indigo and before he realizes it, Tony's being herded away by Thor bumbling apologies and grabbing his elbow. This is strange behavior, even for Thor, so when they're out of the Giant's sight and hearing range, somewhere among the halls in Asgard's palace Tony digs in his heels and stops short, fed up with all the evasion.

"OK, that's enough, now out with it. What's the big deal with Laufey and Jotunheim?" Thor doesn't look at him immediately, but when he does, he looks equal parts sad and guilty. Tony takes it a little more seriously, then, but doesn't let it go, prompting Thor impatiently to continue. "Well?"

Thor sighs, and gestures for Tony to sit on the steps with him.

"Before Loki and I came to Midgard, there was nearly a war between Asgard and Jotunheim; a war after centuries of peace, because I was too arrogant and bloodthirsty to see the true scope of my actions. Loki knew what folly my counsel was, but still he tried to persuade me against perpetrating the actions that led to my banishment on Midgard."

Thor pauses, here, and normally Tony would interrupt, but Thor is a man of few words. For him to take such care with this story – well, Tony's the farthest thing from a sap, but he can respect the scars of war; he's one himself, after all. One big glowing target, on which all the supervillains out there can practice, and it's never going away. (Well, maybe if this deal pans out, but Tony's starting to think it's less and less likely that Odin's actually going to fulfill his end of it.) Thor goes on after another moment's hesitation.

"He stood by my side, and after I was banished he tried to complete what I had only attempted; genocide of the entire Jotun race. Men, women, children – when I returned Loki had unleashed the power of the Bifrost upon all of Jotunheim. But before this, he invited in their leader, Laufey, with the lure of the promise of murdering my father. Laufey, blinded by centuries of rage and humiliation, seized this chance and was destroyed by the very one who had forged this deal with him - and just as Laufey raised his hand to slay the Allfather."

Thor stops, again. Tony takes a moment to digest this. It's a lot to take in, but he is getting a fuzzy picture out of it. Thor's voice is so low, then, that Tony almost misses it.

"Loki let them in. At my coronation, and at the end, before he was lost into the shattered void that had been the Bifrost. Before he was taken and manipulated into leading an army of Chitauri." Tony should be focusing on other things, but all he can blurt is –

"Wait, Loki was manipulated?" Thor gives him a nonplussed look, that slowly clears as Thor climbs out of his memories. He eyes Tony cautiously.

"Yes… I had thought that was clear. My brother is not mad. The sorcerer who led the attack on New York City was not my brother – not until the end, after Friend Hulk had rid him of the possession." Thor's eyes look troubled and faraway, and Tony almost feels guilty for stirring this all up. But this is the piece of the puzzle he needed – he doesn't know how it fits yet, but Tony is sure all this is important somehow.

"There is something deeper and darker out in the universe, watching us as though we are all rabbits scurrying to find holes. Loki has seen it, and seeks to prevent a slaughter of the innumerable innocents who reside in these Nine Realms."

"Well, isn't that a noble turn for him." Tony really couldn't help the sarcasm, but Thor just looks directly at him; blue eyes so pale and piercing that Tony fully believes that Thor is a god, in this moment.

"You have seen it, too, have you not, Man of Iron?" Tony swallows, and feels a pulse of anxiety at the pity in Thor's endless stare.

"Seen what?"

"Seen the wolf that hunts our warren. He watched the battle for Midgard from the tunnel of space above your tower."

Tony doesn't bring up Laufey again, but not knowing is sort of killing him. It's something to do with Loki, that much he can garner, but the rest of it's a mystery. The most tempting option is to just confront Loki and ask him about it, but…

Don't trust me, trust Odin.

Well, Tony would have ignored Loki's words in the bath, if it hadn't been for Hela confirming their importance. And yeah, he realizes Hela could be just as good a liar as Loki. Still, it just doesn't seem right that someone referred to as "The Truth of Helheim" would screw people around like her father does. Hela hadn't sounded like she was the type, either – too aloof, almost. Tony got this feeling Hela knew more than she was letting on.

…Wait, maybe he could ask her?

During the next meet-and-greet (at lunch), Tony seeks Hela out. Odin's given the delegates the whole day to get to know each other, after the feast yesterday, and while it's notably not Official Business (being much less pomp and circumstance), there are still some protocols around. Not enough that they have assigned seats, because it's lunchtime now and everyone but Odin can basically sit where they want. (Tony doesn't think he'd want to mingle, either, given the way he's somewhat balefully eying his sons from his High Seat.)

Tony makes to nab himself a place away from Thor, Loki and Clint. It's easily manageable, what with the long, Viking-style (no, the irony is not lost on Tony, thanks very much) table they're seated at. He's not quite quick enough to get to Hela's side before Nanna, who is never far away. And of course, Hela's chosen a seat at one of the ends, so there's only the one option if Tony wants to sit beside her. Tony grins nervously into Nanna's grey stare, her white hair limp around her face and over her shoulders.

"Uh… Hey! Beautiful day, innit? I was just wondering if I could get this seat here – " Nanna doesn't react to him at all, still standing, fingers still curled over the back of the chair beside Hela. She just watches him as though he is less interesting than the stone they're standing on. It makes Tony uncharacteristically nervous; women don't usually react to him like that (well, unless they're Natasha, but she's like super-woman so Tony thinks that means she counts as an exception). He swallows.

Fear not. She is as the others that are bound by the silence of Nilfheim.

Tony glances around Nanna to see Hela situated quietly in her seat, her one visible eye crinkled slightly at the corner. He frowns at her, not knowing what to say to respond to that and also not really liking this whole telepathy schtick. Hela's mouth curves upward almost indiscernibly, but she nods to Nanna; dismissing her, Tony realizes, as Nanna moves away from the chair beside Hela and takes one beside Tony.

Fuck. Now he's sandwiched between them. Oh well, at least he got his seat. Shrugging, Tony flops into the vacated chair and turns to Hela, opening his mouth to ask –

Not yet. Wait until the eyes have wandered.

Hela doesn't look at him as she delivers these lines, calmly gazing off into the bustling horde of servants as though his sudden presence was but the merest bump.

Had she been expecting him?

Tony shakes off the eerie thought – of course not, that's impossible. No one can see the future; not even the Queen of Hel? Tony's already questioning himself by the end of that last thought, but he tries to shake it off and just gives Hela her space.

The meal will come in a few courses, but Tony doesn't really pay attention. He noticed the eyes, sure, but he's so used to being the center of attention that he hadn't really thought about it being a deterrent. After the appetizer, Hela is the one who breaks the silence.

You came with a question in your eyes. What do you wish to know?

Telepathy again, great. Tony admits ruefully that it means they won't be overheard, but still – it's creepy.

(If you get past the cool part, which Tony could totally synthesize if he got receptors on the right wavelengths, because that's basically what he's been tinkering with in the idea of a suit broken up into parts that can assemble with a gesture, it'd just need some fine-tuning, really - )

Your question, Tony Stark?

Yep, Hela definitely sounds amused. Oh well. Tony clears his throat – old habit, OK?

What happened with Laufey and Loki?

Hela is silent for a moment.

…What is your aim for knowing?

Whoops, Tony hadn't really thought about it – he'd just been curious, on the search for information, and… hunh. Why did he want to know? As though sensing his hesitance, Hela begins speaking again after another brief pause, daintily picking up her utensils to begin eating the plate just set in front of her. Tony takes it as a cue to do the same with his, as it appears.

Laufey brokered a deal with my father. The Frost Giants were admitted into Asgard through a secret passageway – twice, under my father's guidance.

Once at Thor's coronation, and again before the Bifrost was broken? Tony can remember at least that much. Hela does not seem discomfited by either his knowledge or his interruption, and simply continues.

Yes. The latter deal involved Laufey himself venturing into Asgard. The Allfather was caught in the Odin-Sleep; a state where he is rendered immobile and powerless while his mind recovers from the great strain of his power upon him. With Thor banished for his warmongering, the crown of the Nine Realms fell to my father. He determined the most efficient method of dismissing the threat of the Frost Giants – the threat of open war after eons of peace – would be in the destruction of their leader.

But didn't he try to destroy the whole world? Thor said –

Thor is correct, but he does not know the whys. My father did not share them with him. The destruction of Jotunheim came from my father's hatred of the Frost Giants – a hatred now so deep and so great, there is no room for sanity. My father did not naturally hate them so, you understand; I and two others were borne of his liaison with a Frost Giant. But this was far before my father strayed from the righteous path he was trying so hard to follow.

Tony thinks he's missing some hints, here – Hela's talking way over his head – but he shelves the information away for later, anyway.

But what happened with Laufey?

My father delivered Laufey straight into the helpless Allfather's bedchambers. The knife was raised to end the Allfather's life, but my father revealed his true allegiances and destroyed Laufey in front of both the Allfather and the Queen Frigga, swearing vengeance and seeking their favor. Thor's return revealed my father's manipulations. In a state of distress, my father misjudged and made one last, desperate attempt to prove himself by destroying Jotunheim, in all his misdirected rage.

The air is heavy, after that.

Tony thinks about it.

He can't help but think about Obie playing Loki – wanting the 'throne' but never getting it, then engineering Tony's demise. The only difference had been, Loki actually cared about proving himself as 'good' to his family, while Obie just wanted the power of CEO all to himself. Tony tries not to take it personally; maybe it does make him feel a little better, that if it'd been Loki in Obie's place, Loki would've saved him in the end, too.

Hypothetically speaking; Tony doesn't even know what the hell he's thinking about, right now.

In another turn, Loki's rage at the Frost Giants is basically Tony's rage at the terrorists. Vengeance and taking back his name, rebranding it as 'Iron Man' instead of the 'Merchant of Death'. Tony found a few names for Loki on the Internet – 'Liesmith' being chief among them, and not a lot of the stories painted him in a fair light, compared to the other gods. There were other names, too; and let's not forget Christianity painting Loki as a 'Satan' figure.

There was something about Loki being a Frost Giant, too, but Tony can't be sure where Earth myth detracts from Asgardian fact, so he leaves it alone. It would explain why Loki went so genocide-crazy about Jotunheim at the end – wanting to rid the universe of all others like him, so Loki won't be defined by his race. If he had destroyed all of Jotunheim, who would be left to say Loki was of Jotunheim? They'd have no proof, if there were no more Frost Giants. Maybe Loki was just a really good shape-shifter and magician, and that would have nothing to do with whether he was of Jotunheim or of Asgard.

But again, that can't be confirmed, even though it might make sense. So Tony shrugs, and puts it in the back of his mind for when he has more information on the subject.

Lunch with Hela is finished in silence; Tony's got a lot to think about.

Dinner is much the same as lunch, only Tony goes back to sitting with Thor and Clint. Loki is off chatting with one of the delegates – his aunts? – from Vanaheim and Tony knows he's zoning out, but he can't help it. He just has to stare at Loki and wonder what the hell was going through his head.

Not that Tony can really judge, when it comes to genocide, but that had been… willful ignorance. He hadn't thought about people suffering, had just thought about the boys coming home from their tours of duty hale and whole thanks to not being a bunch of infantry cannon fodder. That counts, doesn't it?

Tony also can't get the niggling idea that Loki's part Frost Giant out of his head. It makes too much damn sense not to be true, but Tony's not stupid, he can pick up on people and their tells. The Frost Giants aren't usually approached by the Asgardians, but those ladies from Muspelheim seem to have no problem. Same thing with Vanaheim and Asgard, if Loki and Thor's interactions are anything to go by; sure, Tony knows their mom's from there, but still. Ryok had said it's not good to play favorites, hadn't she? Now Tony's wondering if she was being sarcastic.

So, Muspelheim and Jotunheim are BFFs, and Vanaheim and Asgard are BFFs. Tony's feeling like it's high school all over again; cliques, and whatnot. Oh jeez, now he's drawing up mental images.

Asgard is the worshipped athletes who can do no wrong and basically run the school, Vanaheim is the honor-student nerds, Muspelheim is the average-intelligence kids, Jotunheim is the vocational kids, Nidavallir is the artsy kids who listen to heavy metal and wear lots of black and chains, and Midgard is that one weird kid who skipped a couple grades and never fit in with anybody. Actually, along with that, Helheim is that quiet loner that exists in every grade, but who's smart as a whip and knows everything that's going on.

Wow, now he's imagining everyone here decked out in the appropriate high-school outfits; Tony has to smother a huge grin at rethinking The Breakfast Club with the delegates here.

Oh, well, what harm's a little fun?

It's a long time after dinner, and Tony's tinkering with the suit in his room – not wanting to go to sleep and invite any more crazy-ass dreams machinated by a certain magical bastard – when there's a knock at the door. Half-expecting the same gnarled old man from last night, he's surprised when it's just a guard. The man nods at Tony respectfully before turning to escort him to wherever they're going. Unexpectedly, they head outside. The guard takes him down dark passageways and through echoing corridors, until they emerge into a garden.

It's well-kept, and Odin is standing with his spear in hand. Tony hadn't expected that, but before he can open his mouth (yes, that quick) another figure steps out of the shadows.

It's Loki. Tony gives a sidelong look to Odin, who remains unreadable.

"This is your Third Task, Tony Starkson." The spear raises straight in the air, and the bottom clinks down on the stone with a small amount of force. Nonetheless, it echoes and a ripple of light rushes out from the spot where it touched the ground, washing over Tony's feet and suddenly it's daylight a million miles away on Earth.

Tony's staring wide-eyed at that drop-dead gorgeous face he can't forget even as much as he may want to; pencil skirt, long black braid and all. He turns to look for Odin and instead just sees the interior of his redone Malibu home. An advancing step makes him look back towards girl-Loki and Tony reflexively takes a step back, still thrown. This is nothing like the other two – he knows where he is, knows this is a Task, knows he needs to do something to pass.

He doesn't know what it is, though. He nervously watches as girl-Loki gives him a quizzical look before advancing another step.

"Are you well, dear?" Wait, the fuck? Tony's pretty sure he squawks his next response.

"W-What?" Loki's female face flickers with concern, and she reaches out a hand, her form melding back into a masculine one as s/he makes to cup his cheek. Tony instinctively swats Loki's hand away, but Loki's stubborn and grabs his wrist.

The hold is firm, but the fingers are looped gingerly and only slightly dig into Tony's skin. Loki leans in, eyes flickering between worried anger and brooding concern.

"You seem unwell. Have you not been eating, again?" It's bordering on chiding and Tony bristles a little on principle before remembering – oh, yeah, he does tend to forgot to eat sometimes. But no, that's not what this is about, it's something else.

"This is a Task." Tony blurts, shutting his eyes so he's not eternally creeped-out by Loki looking really closely at him. "It's not real. I don't know what the hell this is, but – "

A hand cupping his cheek and an arm looping over his waist kill Tony's words dead on his tongue. Loki leans to touch their foreheads together and sounds slightly frustrated, as though he's forcing himself to be patient.

"What are you rambling about?" Tony shakes his head and steps back out of that, opening his eyes and laughing nervously to try and hide how much this is freaking him out. Loki's eyes look hurt for a moment, before they shutter; also hiding. Loki's hands slowly, measuredly, draw back towards himself and the left hand cups the right, the right hand's fingers moving in what must be a nervous tic.

"Look, I don't know what kind of game Odin's playing, but this – this isn't real. We're not together, we slept together once, I'm not gonna deny that, but this is all sorts of messed up." Tony's babbling, again, but he can't help it. Loki is just watching him and Tony fights the urge to back up to the glass window behind him.

Loki smiles at him, sadly.

"Don't you trust me, Tony?" Tony opens his mouth and then pauses, connecting the dots. He narrows his eyes.

"Is that what this is about? Me trusting too much? Odin thinking he can't trust me because I slept with you? Or because I'd sleep with anyone with a 'pretty face'?" That last bit is sneered, and Loki's expression is slowly closing off, but Tony can't bring himself to care. They're not a thing, goddammit. There never was a chance of it, either. What's it matter?

"What has the Allfather to do with this?" Tony wants to slap Loki, just for that. He barks his next response.

"Some shitty lesson about being careful over who I trust! Well guess what, I make my own decisions! And even if you told me, yourself, not to trust you that doesn't mean I'm gonna blindly follow along! You hear that, Odin? Hard to trust an ally if they're always messing with your head and screwing with your emotions!"

Loki has the gall to smirk, at that, and he tilts his head just-so.

"But, my dear, I do that, as well." It's a silky, slimy response and Tony gives him a glare for it.

"At least you're out with it. Odin's just an asshole. And I don't know if this is really you I'm talking to or just some puppet Odin's made up to fuck with my head even more, but I don't care. And I don't care what you said in the bath, either. I'd feel a whole lot better trusting the manipulator who's out about his manipulations than someone who pretends to be all high and mighty and honorable when he's not."

Loki watches him, then, and a slow smile curls over his face. It's an unfamiliar expression, but then he turns his head and Tony can see Jotun blue leaking onto his cheek.

"It seems you chose well, Father. He is stalwart and loyal. That much, has not changed." Tony flicks his eyes to where Loki's looking and, surprise surprise, Odin's visible again. The bubble of reality around them sways and falls, revealing the gardens again. Only now, Tony can see that it's Hela standing in Loki's place. Her head covering is gone, and half her face is a dark, Jotun blue with one red eye. He frowns, and glances back at Odin.

"'Father'?" Odin watches him for a long moment – too long, that Hela feels the need to interject.

"If there is no one else to trust, trust him. He has proven himself. Not even the Wolf could erase his nature." Odin watches Hela, and some look passes between them that Tony can't decipher. Odin visibly sighs, his eye closing.

"Your shield is unbreakable, Daughter?" Hela huffs a soft, affectionate laugh. It still sounds too mature for how young she looks.

"As always. Show him. He has earned that much, with all your mind-games in the guise of Tasks." There is a small smirk that pulls at Odin's mouth, but he nods, acquiescing.

"Very well."

There's really very little fanfare about it; from where Odin's hand grasps the spear, what looks like green electricity moves inward like a crashing wave from his fingertips and Tony's gut freezes when the magic passes over Odin's face.

Tony stares, momentarily speechless.

Loki gazes back at him, steady and humorless.

Loki is King of Asgard.

Pretending to be Odin.

The Odin that's been jerking him around is really Loki.

(…Thor thinks Odin is his father when Odin is really Loki.)

"But then who's Loki?" Tony blurts out; he can't help it. Loki and Hela share a glance, before Loki looks to him once more. Tony notices Loki's fingers tighten on the spear.

"That, Tony Stark, is the question in all our minds."

Oh, shit.